A Community for Families Facing Childhood Illnesses in Sioux Falls

First Event February 28th - see events page for details

Helping families find moments of joy and community along their medical journeys

Community Building

Being a parent of a child with a rare, genetic, or other lifelong illness can be an isolating experience. We offer monthly meet-ups for parents, patients, and their siblings. We serve dinner for the whole family, provide fun activities for the kids, and give you a chance to connect with other parents in similar circumstances. We want to help you gather with people who understand the road you are on and form meaningful and important friendships.

Safe, Fun Family Outings

Do you worry about taking your immune-compromised child out in public, does navigating their medical equipment make it difficult for you to go on “typical” family outings? We will work together with the community to provide your child with access to places and activities they might not be able to enjoy otherwise, with families who understand the need for taking precautions.

How to Help

Donate to Families Finding Joy and help us help families make memories and find little pockets of joy in their medical journey.

Who we are

Families Finding Joy was created in honor of my son Emmett who was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition at the age of 2 months old. While he was alive we went to four major children’s hospitals in the Midwest - at every one we found that their only community-building organizations were for families of children with cancer. Luckily for us, we were allowed to join one of these groups because Emmett had a bone marrow transplant and chemo even though he did not have cancer. This community was so crucial to us as we navigated his medical condition. It allowed us to find people who understood, have little moments of normal, and experience joy out in the community that we were so often isolated from. When Emmett passed away at the age of 18 months I decided to honor him by starting a program where families like ours, with children like him, could always find a place and find joy. Emmett, through his entire health battle, was pure joy. If you feel this organization will help your family please apply at the link below.

Apply here